![]() The problem again, he said, are substandard decisions by the players in crucial attacking positions.Īnd so a harsh reality has begun to set in for Mexican fans. Martino added that a lack of goals is often a sign of more significant issues, but in the case of this Mexico side, they’ve done well to build play from the back and advance up the field via numerical superiorities. That’s something that we have to correct.” “We’re not putting enough players inside the box and we’re a team that gets to those areas often. “We’ve had problems in the final third that result from bad decisions with the final pass, finishing plays poorly from wide areas, and then (the player) who’s in a position to score, isn’t clinical,” said Martino. In a recent interview with Telemundo, Martino admitted to former El Tri striker Carlos Hermosillo that Mexico’s attack was “deficient”, often crumbling due to poor decision making by the players on the field. This is true regardless of what formation Martino experiments with. That much about Mexico is consistent Martino’s side often betters their opponents on paper, but the players simply have not delivered in key moments. Statistically, the match was much closer, with Mexico having more possession, better passing accuracy and just as many shots (10) as Uruguay. Individual errors on set pieces and defensive breakdowns doomed Mexico as Uruguay schooled El Tri via direct football and an inspired Edison Cavani. For about 35 minutes, Mexico were disciplined and organized, but never looked comfortable under intense pressure from Uruguay’s midfield counter press and high press. ![]() Mexico lined up in a 5-3-2 shape, featuring a double midfield pivot of Edson Álvarez and Erick Gutiérrez, an unlikely pairing since Gutiérrez is typically behind both Álvarez and Héctor Herrera on the depth chart. He deviated from his standard 4-3-3 formation against Uruguay, perhaps hoping to have a viable tactical solution to problems that may come in November. Naturally, Martino used these games to experiment a bit. The match ended in a 0-0 draw with Jiménez off the mark throughout the contest. An unconvincing 2-1 win over a mostly second-choice Nigeria side in Dallas and a 3-0 loss to full-strength Uruguay in Phoenix set the stage for a tense match up against Ecuador in Chicago. ![]() That vote of confidence came after Mexico walked away from friendlies against Nigeria, Uruguay, and Ecuador with more questions than answers. There’s no doubt that our coaching staff is led by Gerardo Martino, and it’ll be that way when we arrive in Qatar.” “The supporters have every right to express themselves, whether or not we agree with them,” De Luisa said. And in an interview with TUDN last Thursday, FMF president Yon De Luisa backed Martino, referring to the 59-year-old Argentine manager as “the best option” for Mexico at the moment. Martino’s job security remains a major talking point despite the fact that Mexican Football Federation sporting director Gerardo Torrado has said publicly that he would like to retain Martino after the World Cup. Furthermore, Jesús “Tecatito” Corona’s inability to influence games is another worrying trend for Mexico. There’s also growing concern about center forward Raúl Jiménez’s prolonged drop in form since suffering a severe head injury in 2021. Head coach Tata Martino must solve El Tri’s goal drought, and perhaps recall Javier “Chicharito” Hernadez, Mexico’s all-time leading scorer, in order to do so. Goals were scarce, the team’s supposed stars underperformed and the Fuera Tata chants were heard in matches that were played both in the United States and in Mexico.Įach one of those realities will shape Mexico’s run up to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. ![]() This past FIFA window for Mexico was replete with many of the same narratives that dominated their World Cup qualifying campaign. ![]()
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